Aota Yui is a young woman with a dream – she wants to be a chef. To get there, she needs to be accepted by the restaurant’s Taisho. She’s working really hard to make food that people love. One day Yui runs into the beautiful businesswoman Houjo Eriko. Eriko wishes someone might cook for her….so Yui volunteers. She’s already half in love when she comes to the door, but after a night spent with the other woman, she’s a goner. Eriko, though, has no dreams left. She thinks life is pretty boring. Men desire her, women want to be her. She thinks Yui is cute and distracting, like a puppy, but is sure that there’s nothing left of life for her. Yui will, of course, change that.
In Shigoto no Nochi Dakishimete (仕事の後は抱きしめて), subtitled in English “Hold Me Tight After Work,” on the cover, Yui’s earnestness and Eriko’s quiet despair will battle and love will win.
This was one of the books I picked up in Japan because I had never heard of it and there it was, with these words on the obi – “Spun with delicate brushtrokes – Shakaijin Yuri love story.” It was predictable and fun and kind of sweet, bolstered mostly by Yui’s energy and sincerity.
Apparently it wasn’t enough to have Eriko be jaded and full of ennui, though, because midway a plot complication is inserted that, honestly, did not work for the narrative. Yui assists a young woman in kimono from being harassed (a scene that was smile-inducing as every guy in the town shows up to back Yui up, since everyone lieks her) and in her desire to thank Yui, the young woman decides to destroy her life. ?!?!?
Koyoi Mikazuki has a run-down restaurant left to her by her parents. When they died all the employees just left, leaving her without anyone to help her run the place. She decides Yui should be her chef. Yui, who *just* got the approval from the restaurant’s Taisho is not willing to leave. Mikazuki embraces Yui, just in time for Eriko to show up. And Eriko, of course, gets the wrong idea. UGH, come on.
And then it gets weird – Mikazuki tracks Eriko down to taunt her, manipulates Yui into helping her rebuild the restaurant and generally is unpleasant and creepy. Yui and Eriko do not speak about this and they begin to pull further apart. Finally Yui puts her foot down. She helps Mikazuki get new staff…which are the old staff who left her, because when her parents died they all just could not cope. Once Mikazuki is doing okay again, Yui finds Eriko, then refuses to let her just walk away.
They make up in the time honored fashion and, we are led to believe, live happily ever after.
I’m left thinking that the plot complication with Mikazuki could have been handled with more nuance than “tragic backstory,” and Eriko’s issue are deeper than just “life is boring,” and would have liked to see some self-refection from these two, but manga tropes it is. Other than this slight imperfection, this is a fun little adult Yuri from Iwashita Kei and published by our old friends East Press. It’s nice to see them still putting out the occasional Yuri.
Ratings:
Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 7 This story is carried by Yui, no question
Service – Some adult sex scenes, but drawn for subtlety, not stimulation
Yuri – 9
Overall – 7
You might give it a higher score if “not talking about it” bothers you less than it does me. It bothers me a whole point’s worth here.
